Claus Lazik

Claus Lazik is a partner with Ayres Adventures Limited. He was born and raised in Kaufbeuren, southern Bavaria, Germany.

After school and military service he studied Physical Geography at the University of Munich and worked in geological and geophysical offices and in the Bavarian Institute for Topographical Maps.

Nearly 20 years ago, Claus decided to change to a profession that would allow him to focus on his interests of motorcycling, languages, and travel. He became a tour leader with an Austrian-based motorcycle tour company and by now rode a motorcycle on all 7 continents (incl. Antarctica). He has led motorcycle tours in most European countries, as well as Morocco, Southern Africa, Dubai, Oman, China, Japan and South America. He has also traveled privately by motorcycle in North and South America, Australia, New Zealand and Vietnam.

Claus is fluent in German, English, Spanish and French and is addicted to exploring and showing the many different facets of our planet by two wheels: from the Alps and Pyrenees with their countless passes to the magic of Morocco and Southern Africa, from the colors of Spain and South America to the overwhelming beauty of Norway and Iceland.

When not traveling as a Tour Director with Ayres Adventures, Claus lives with his family in the little village of Mauerstetten, about an hour’s drive from Munich.

Chris Gladstone

Chris Gladstone lives in Nelson, New Zealand and is responsible for the management and operation of Ayres Adventures in New Zealand. When not leading tours for Ayres Adventures, he serves in the New Zealand Police Force in the CSI Unit (Crime Scene Investigation). Chris is a 32-year veteran of the New Zealand Police Force.

Chris has been a member of the Diplomatic Protection Squad and was a bodyguard to many visiting heads of state and Royalty. He is also an Armed Offenders Squad Negotiator, responsible for resolving confrontations between the police and armed offenders as peacefully as possible. He has received a Royal Humane Society Award for bravery.

An avid motorcyclist, Chris has more than 30 accident-free years of riding to his credit. He and his wife Chrissie enjoy their many opportunities to tour in their “motorcycling paradise” nearly as much as they enjoy sharing New Zealand with visiting riders.

Ed McClure

Ed McClure has lived in Fairbanks, Alaska since 1980. He spent his early years riding enduro bikes, and hiking and climbing in Mt. Rainier National Park. He has always enjoyed exploring and ‘going to the end of the road’.

Ed has 30 years experience traveling in Alaska by truck, airplane and motorcycle. He has driven on the Cassiar and Alaska Highway over a dozen times, and is currently training on the Dalton Highway to qualify as an ‘Ice Road Trucker’.

He’s traveled extensively throughout Alaska by motorcycle, including multiple rides north of the Arctic Circle including one of the world’s most challenging motorcycling destinations – Prudhoe Bay. He is intimately familiar with motorcycling throughout Alaska and Canada’s Yukon Territory. The same pioneering spirit that led Ed to answer the call of the wild and head to Alaska at age 21, inspired him and his wife Pat to open a seasonal gift shop in Denali National Park featuring Pat’s original artwork and fabrics, and to build their own cabin in the woods with an authentic outhouse and a resident moose named ‘Molly’.

Axel Papst

Axel Papst was born in Cologne, Germany and has been riding motorcycles for more than 30 years. He lives in Innsbruck, Austria and has also lived in Canada.

An experienced motorcycle tour leader, Axel led tours for more than ten years for an Austrian-based motorcycle tour company before joining Ayres Adventures. He has led tours in most European countries as well as in New Zealand, North and South America, and South Africa. Before becoming a motorcycle tour leader, Axel held jobs as a marketing agent in the outdoor sports industry and as a rafting/canyoneering/hiking guide. He also taught skiing and snowboarding for 5 years.

Axel is a qualified Safety Instructor with the Austrian Automobile Association. He has studied Tourism Management, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in business. His hobbies include skiing, mountain biking, motorcycles and travel. He is fluent in English and German.

Janis Cimins

Janis was born in Latvia and lives in Riga, the nation’s capital. He is fluent in Russian and English and specializes on leading tours for our guests from Russian-speaking countries. He has led tours for our Russian-speaking guests in New Zealand and the United States.

Janis has traveled through most European countries, as well as Asia, North America and South America. He lives with his wife Aija (a professional film director and photographer) and his two daughters on the banks of the Salaca River. The Salaca is famous for salmon fishing and provides opportunities for ice skating as well as fishing – two of Janis’s favorite pastimes. Even better, his favorite enduro trails begin at his terrace.

Jason Kilian

Jason lives in Pretoria, South Africa with his wife Mynette.

Prior to joining Ayres Adventures, and after his military service, Jason pursued a career as an attorney. Eventually, his love for motorcycles, touring and adventure overshadowed his love for the law.

Jason started doing motorcycle and other types of tours through the southern part of Africa on a regular basis in 2007, pursuing his dream of arranging travel for others. In this new venture he assisted with the planning of routes for the annual BMW Eco Challenge, the Annual Bikers for Mandela Day, and the Annual Cancervive rides, which he led as Road Captain.

Having travelled the African continent extensively, either by a motorbike or 4×4 vehicle, Jason describes himself as a true all weather biker, adventurer, nature lover and conversationalist.

Bryn Olsen

Bryn has worked as a law enforcement officer for nearly thirty years, ten of those as a motorcycle officer and member of the Auckland police motorcycle display team.

For the last fourteen years Bryn has served as the lead police tactical options instructor for the top half of the South Island. He is responsible for leading the training team in development and delivery of police tactical options, from unarmed combat to firearms, for all police staff in the district.

Bryn has ridden motorcycles, both off-road and street bikes, since the age of fourteen except for a brief interval when his family was young. He credits his extensive motorcycle training (and a bit of good luck) for a completely accident-free riding record.

Although Bryn has lived and worked on both islands, he finally settled on the South Island due to his great love for the outdoors. He lives in Nelson with his wife Lyn, formerly a motorcycle officer herself. They have two young adult children, one of whom is about to throw his leg over a motorcycle for the first time.

Bryn is committed to offering the best possible touring experience to Ayres Adventures clients, sharing his beautiful riding country with them.

Arthur Tarian

Arthur was born and raised in Tallinn, Estonia. After serving over the Polar Circle in the Russian Army, he returned home to study mechanical engineering. He later immigrated to Europe, living in Austria, Italy and England before settling in the United States.

Arthur has been an active motorcyclist since receiving his license at age 16. He rode his first bike, the Jawa 350, year-round. Soon after, he began racing Enduro and Hare Scramble, participating in national competitions. Arthur continued to explore challenging trails wherever he could find them. He developed a passion for long distance riding and remote locations, resulting in a ride from Key West, Florida to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. He is a member of the Iron Butt Association.

Fluent in Russian and English, Arthur represents Ayres Adventures deepening commitment to the Russian market, as he is ideally suited to lead the numerous private tours that we operate for Russian-speaking groups.

Arthur now lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota with his two daughters. In addition to his passion for motorcycling, he also enjoys such adrenalin-pumping sports as alpine skiing, mountain biking and skydiving.

Ricardo Serpa

Ricardo Serpa is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He has several complimentary passions: motorcycling, photography and world travel. As a tour leader with Ayres Adventures, he can immerse himself in all three.

Ricardo began riding when he was 18, and was immediately attracted to off-road racing. He competed for many years in various enduro races in Brazil. His motorcycle travels have included several round trips, nearly 20,000 miles each, from his home in Miami to Alaska to prepare an upcoming photo book.

Ricardo has been working as a professional photographer for over 25 years. Before opening a very successful photography studio in Miami, he served as staff photojournalist for a leading Brazilian daily. He has recently made plans to turn responsibility for his photographic business to his partner and lead photographer, so that he can dedicate himself to “riding the world” with Ayres Adventures. He looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for motorcycling, travel and photography with our guests.

In addition to his motorcycling and photographic credentials, Ricardo has a firm grounding in the business world. With a graduate degree in Business Administration, with specializations in finance and marketing, Ricardo worked as an Export Manager for different multinational companies before focusing on his entrepreneurial efforts in photography.

Ricardo’s other hobbies include surfing, reading and history. He lives in Miami Beach, Florida, with Nicole. The couple’s four children are spread around the country, working and studying in such places as Miami, Seattle, Chicago and Los Angeles.